April 22, 2022
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars!
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Delicious baked chocolate cheesecake bars with a biscuit base, creamy and delicious chocolate cheesecake filling, and a chocolate drizzle topping!
Cheesecake bars
Cheesecake bars are one of the sorts of bakes that I have vaguely skipped over – and I have no idea why?! I did one in my first recipe book, and I adore the recipe – so I thought it was time to bring cheesecake bars more to the blog.
When I was thinking of what recipes to make, I was really craving a chunk of chocolate cheesecake so this seemed ideal. I adore no-bake cheesecake as you all know, but cheesecake bars are 100% better baked.
Cheesecake base
Something about the crunch of the biscuit base topped with a silky cheesecake topping is the absolute dream situation – and then topped with a silky smooth chocolate drizzle?! How can anyone possibly even resist it?! I don’t know.
For the base, I followed the idea of a normal biscuit base – but you bake the base for about 10 minutes just to form a bit of a shell between the base and the cheesecake filling. This is optional, but as your oven has to be on anyway for the filling, you may as well bake it to get a better result.
The tin
I used a large traybake tin because when you make a bar shape, you would typically use a large tray – this is the tin I used. I made sure to line the base of the tin, as well as the sides. I know I don’t normally mention doing this on cheesecakes, but it’s different with the baked cheesecake I swear!
Because of the size of the tin, you do also have to increase the number of ingredients you use for the base, to make sure you actually have enough mixture to cover the base. I know I like a thick biscuit base, but I do think this is a reasonable one – it works perfectly for the size of each chunk of chocolate cheesecake bar.
Filling
The filling, it’s a little different from my other baked cheesecake mixtures that you may have seen so far. To start I beat the FULL-FAT soft cream cheese on its own to loosen it slightly and then add in the eggs and sugar.
Yes I know, eggs?! What?! Baked cheesecake has eggs. I promise you it needs them! You then add in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract and beat again – and finally pour in some melted and cooled dark chocolate and fold.
To make things slightly easier this time, I used double cream in the cheesecake compared to natural yoghurt or soured cream that is often used in a baked cheesecake – but it worked so well! Fold through the double cream last and you have a thick and beautiful cheesecake mixture.
Spread this over the biscuit base and even out. I swirled the top of the cheesecake slightly to create a pattern, and I don’t know why – I covered the top with melted chocolate and chocolate curls anyway so it got covered – but it’s up to you.
After baking and decoration
You bake the cheesecake and then you have to leave the cheesecake cool PROPERLY. It then also needs to set in the fridge overnight – I know, why does cheesecake always take so long to make?! IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT I PROMISE.
After it’s baked, cooled, and set, I remove it from the tin, still in its paper. I decorate the cheesecake with a drizzle of chocolate and some chocolate curls for a simple look – but it works so well! Let this chocolate set a little, slice up and enjoy.
These chocolate cheesecake bars are rich, delicate, and absolutely and utterly scrumptious – enjoy them!! Jane x
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars!
Ingredients
Base
- 400 g digestives
- 175 g unsalted butter
Cheesecake
- 300 g dark chocolate
- 750 g full-fat soft cream cheese
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 ml double cream
Decoration
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 50 g chocolate curls
Instructions
Base
- Preheat the oven to 200ºc/180ºfan and line a 9x13" baking tray with parchment paper.
- Blitz the biscuits to a fine crumb.
- Melt the butter in a separate bowl, and then mix into the biscuit. Press the mixture into the bottom of the lined tin.
- Bake the biscuit base in the oven for 10 minutes.
Cheesecake
- Once the base has been baked, lower the temp of the oven to 180ºc/160ºfan - leave the biscuit base on the side for now.
- In a bowl, melt the dark chocolate until smooth - I do this in the microwave in short bursts.
- In a new large bowl, add the full-fat soft cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Add the eggs, beating well as you go, and add in the caster sugar. Beat this until combined.
- Add in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract and beat again to combine.
- Fold through the cooled melted dark chocolate until smooth.
- Add in the double cream, and fold again until smooth.
- Spread the mixture over the baked biscuit base. Bake the cheesecake bars in the oven for 35 minutes.
- Leave the cheesecake bars to cool in the oven with the door slightly adjar, for an hour
- Remove the tin from the oven, and set the cheesecake bars in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours.
Decoration
- Once the cheesecake bars have set, remove carefully from the tin.
- Drizzle over some dark chocolate for decoration, and sprinkle on some chocolate curls. Leave this to set and then portion, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can make the base chocolate-themed by adding 25g of cocoa powder to the biscuit mixture.
- I really would recommend using dark chocolate - don't worry, it doesn't taste 'bitter'.
- These cheesecake bars last 3+ days in the fridge.
- I used
ENJOY!
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J x
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Hi Jane, could this recipe be halved and, if so, what size tin would you suggest?
Hi can I just check you don’t whip the double cream like you would in your usual cheesecakes? Thanks
Hiya! No, don’t worry, this is different as it is baked! x
Hi Jane I made these cheesecake bars last week and they turned out beautiful, they are so rich that I cut the bars smaller. I love all your recipes x
After the hour I presume you leave to cool further before putting in the fridge? Thanks
Hiya! It is best to cool slightly so they are not piping hot – but then they can go straight in the fridge! x
I love the sound of this, but I really really really (just to stress how much lol) don’t like dark chocolate.. can normal chocolate be used?
Thanks! X
Hiya! For best results – you should use dark chocolate for the cocoa content, but don’t worry – they don’t taste like dark chocolate! Hope this helps! x
Ooohhh yummy Jane! I’ve made these but there’s so much I’m wondering if leftovers can be frozen?
Yes absolutely they can, for up to 3 months! Enjoy! x
I made these at the weekend and they were very much loved! I swapped out the double cream with Oatly Whippable (as my mum can’t have normal cream) and they came out perfectly. Very pleased with my first go at a baked cheesecake recipe!
Hi Jane, made this with dark chocolate and it went down a treat. I was just wondering if white chocolate can be used? If so how many grams. X
Hiya! This is definitely worth a go with the same quantity – but I have not tested it yet personally! Also, don’t forget about the cocoa powder! Hope this helps! x
Hia is it correct that it isn’t set in the middle please
Hiya! No – this may mean they needed slightly longer to bake! Hope this helps! x
My mixture is runny, I followed the recipe and instructions help!!
Hiya! This is a baked cheesecake mixture – so will definitely be runny! How did they turn out? Hope you loved them! x
Hi, I absolutely love how easy to follow your recipes are and I can’t wait for your 2nd book 🙂
Could I use this recipe halved in a smaller tin? Thanks
Thank you so much! Yes absolutely, but baking time will change. Hope this helps! x
I made this last night and waited patiently to try it today. It was more than worth the wait, absolutely delicious. Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Would l be able to use milk chocolate instead of dark.
Yes absolutely you can! Enjoy! x
Yummy can’t wait to Try this, can you use milk chocolate? We’re not huge dark chocolate fans.
Yes absolutely you can! Enjoy! x
what do you call a double cream?? do we have it in France
Thank you
I made this yesterday with milk chocolate
absolutely beautiful cheesecake.
Hi Jane what percentage dark chocolate did you use?
Hiya! I always use %70+ dark chocolate. Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane
These look lovely. Hoping to make some for my nephews birthday on the weekend. Is it alright to use Elmlea double cream?